Erin O’Neill of the counseling department was honored this year.
By Melissa Riker
The Sun
“It’s the atmosphere here that makes Shawnee so special and makes me better able to reach the students. There’s never a day I don’t laugh.”
Those are the words of Erin O’Neill, who was named Shawnee High School’s Educational Services Provider of the Year for her work in the counseling department.
As a counselor, O’Neill meets with about 240 students, and she can follow them from their freshman year to their senior year, preparing them for their next steps in life — whether that be college, trade school or the workforce.
O’Neill also works with transfer students, is a part of the intervention and referral services team, runs the newcomer’s committee, and helps run the upstander program. As a part of the upstander program, O’Neill was able to organize a visit from the Anti-Defamation League to train 26 students in anti-bias training. With this training, these students will be able to present lessons on anti-bias to ninth-grade health classes.
“I love working with the students, it’s always been my dream to be a high school counselor so when I was hired here… it’s just every day is different, every student is different and watching them grow over four years is so rewarding for me,” O’Neill said. “It was my dream to work here so I’m very happy.”
O’Neill worked toward becoming a counselor by attending graduate school at The College of New Jersey. She obtained an internship at Shawnee in 2008 to 2009, and eventually was able to secure a full-time position as a counselor.
Her passion to connect with her students as a counselor stems from her own experiences as a high school student. O’Neill said she moved states in the middle of high school and that was a difficult transition for her, but the staff’s kindness is what got her through to graduation.
Due to her experiences, she said she tries to do the same for her students — encouraging them and trying to understand what they’re going through on a personal level.
This marks her seventh year in the district, and O’Neill said she is honored to be named the 2019–2020 Educational Services Provider of the Year.
“It’s definitely not something you work for, because we’re here for the students, but it’s such a nice distinction to have because it’s such a compliment. There are so many people in this building that deserve this same award, that’s why I’m still in shock,” O’Neill said. “I work every day with people who work really, really hard for these students, and I think that’s what’s humbling about it.”
O’Neill said the second she walks into the school every morning she has a smile on her face, thanks to the welcoming demeanor of the staff and students. The end of the school year is especially gratifying for O’Neill, as she attends the commencement ceremony each year.
“Every graduation day is so rewarding to see the students really accomplish their goals and creating a bond with the students who were once freshmen and now they’re basically adults,” O’Neill said. “There is nothing better than sitting at graduation day and watching a student you’ve worked with for so long get their diploma. There is nothing better than that. It makes every day worthwhile.”
